Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Incinerators: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

baroness jones of moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Duncan of Springbank on 5 November 2019 (HL460),what were the equivalent green house gas emissions from incineration in the waste and energy supply sectors in (1) 2017, (2) 2018, and (3) 2019.

lord duncan of springbank: In 2017, an estimated 5.2 Mt (million tonnes) of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalents) were emitted from incineration in the energy supply sector and 0.3 Mt of CO2e were emitted from incineration in the waste sector. In 2018, an estimated 6.0 Mt of CO2e were emitted from incineration in the energy supply sector and 0.3 of CO2e were emitted from incineration in the waste sector.  Emissions from biogenic waste material are not included in these figures, consistent with domestic and international reporting of greenhouse gas emissions. We are not currently able to provide equivalent statistics for 2019 as these are not yet available. The Final Statistics for UK Greenhouse Gas Emissions 1990-2019 will be published in February 2021.

Incinerators: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

baroness jones of moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Duncan of Springbank on 5 November 2019 (HL460),what were the greenhouse gas emissions produced per tonne of waste processed in an energy from waste incinerator in (1) 2012, and (2) 2018.

lord duncan of springbank: There are two categories in the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory that include waste being processed in an energy from waste incinerator:The incineration of municipal solid waste (MSW) in “Power Stations”;The incineration of MSW in “Miscellaneous industrial/commercial combustion”. In 2012, an estimated 0.4 tonnes of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalents) were emitted per tonne of waste processed in UK “Power Stations” and 0.8 tonnes of CO2e were emitted per tonne of waste processed in an energy from waste incinerator in UK “Miscellaneous industrial/commercial combustion”. In 2018, an estimated 0.4 tonnes of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalents) were emitted per tonne of waste processed in UK “Power Stations” and 0.6 tonnes of CO2e were emitted per tonne of waste processed in an energy from waste incinerator in UK “Miscellaneous industrial/commercial combustion”. Emissions from biogenic waste material are not included in these figures, consistent with domestic and international reporting of greenhouse gas emissions.

Intellectual Property: Crime

lord stevenson of balmacara: Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the economic impact to the UK of the unauthorised use by persons or companies based in China of intellectual property developed in the UK.

lord duncan of springbank: The UK’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is an executive agency of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. It is responsible for intellectual policy (IP) policy; educating businesses and consumers about IP rights and responsibilities; supporting IP enforcement; and granting UK patents, trade marks and design rights. The IPO recognises the significant harm that IP crime causes to the UK economy and is working alongside domestic and international partners to address the problem.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Madagascar: Mining

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of recent reports of child labour in mica mines in Madagascar; and what steps they are taking to end such practices.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The UK is concerned about reports of the use of child labour in the mining industry in Madagascar. We are committed to eradicating all forms of modern slavery. Under the Modern Slavery Act, all large businesses in the UK with a turnover of £36 million or more are required to publish an annual transparency statement detailing the steps they have taken to prevent modern slavery from occurring in their business and supply chains. This enables consumers, investors and campaigners alike to hold businesses to account. The UK regularly raises human rights concerns with the Government of Madagascar. At the 34th Session of the Universal Periodic Review in November 2019, the UK recommended Madagascar strengthen its existing legislation to ensure that all forms of modern slavery and human trafficking are criminalised in line with international conventions and standards; this includes the exploitation of children.

Cameroon: Peace Negotiations

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to (1) President Biya, and (2) the government of Cameroon, about that government's participation in the talks on the future of Cameroon proposed by the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: During a visit to Cameroon in September 2019 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Permanent Under-Secretary urged the Government of Cameroon to undertake a national dialogue that was comprehensive and inclusive, and could deliver a lasting peace in the Anglophone regions. At a UN Security Council briefing session on 6 December 2019, the UK welcomed the National Dialogue called by the government, bringing parties together in early October. It is imperative that the Government of Cameroon continues to engage in inclusive discussions and helps deliver all the recommendations made from October’s dialogue.We welcome the Swiss Government and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue mediation efforts between parties in Cameroon. We urge the Government of Cameroon to remain engaged in this process. The British High Commissioner to Cameroon regularly engages in high-level discussions with the Government of Cameroon on the Anglophone crisis, including the mediation process led by the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue. The UK stands ready to support all credible peacebuilding initiatives.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Mining

lord alton of liverpool: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of children working in cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; what measures they are taking to assess the dangers to children working in such mines; and what action they plan to take to help eliminate child labour and promote safe working conditions in those mines.

lord alton of liverpool: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that the families of children working in cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are seeking compensation for forced labour, unjust enrichment, negligent supervision, intentional infliction of emotional distress, wages promised but not paid, and the loss of assets, educational and business opportunities.

lord alton of liverpool: Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to impose sanctions and use UK aid to help combat child labour in cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and whether they plan to require UK companies sourcing cobalt to establish an independent verification system that would ensure that their supply chains are free from exploitation, unsafe working conditions, slavery and child labour.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK is concerned about reports of modern slavery and child labour in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and UK officials have raised these concerns with the government. The UK has implemented a number of programmes to tackle modern slavery in DRC, including a programme with the Carter Centre to improve transparency and governance in the mining sector, working with civil society and mining companies. The UK is committed to ending modern slavery, forced labour and human trafficking worldwide by 2030, including the eradication of child labour, as unanimously adopted in the UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development.Under the Modern Slavery Act, all large businesses in the UK with a turnover of £36m or more are required to publish an annual transparency statement detailing the steps they have taken to prevent modern slavery from occurring in their business and supply chains. As an active member of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), we encourage states and those working in the industry to implement the OECD’s Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High Risk Areas. In 2018/19 we funded the OECD to run dissemination and capacity-building projects to support implementation of the guidance.

Bahrain: Trials

lord scriven: Her Majesty's Government, further to theWritten Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 22 January (HL340), what assessment they have made of whether the trial of Mohammed Ramadhan and Hussain Moosa in Bahrain (1) was fair, and (2) met international standards.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK continues to encourage the Government of Bahrain to follow due process in all cases and meet its international and domestic human rights commitments.The right to a fair trial is enshrined in the constitution of Bahrain. Bahrain stated publically both the original conviction in 2014 and any rejection of appeals, such as the verdict announced on January 8 2020, must be agreed unanimously by the judges, and in accordance with international law and human rights standards including the United Nations Safeguards. These include a requirement for the court to base its decision on receipt of clear and convincing evidence which leaves “no room for an alternative explanation of the facts”.British Embassy officials were in attendance of the retrial. The case, which is ongoing, has not yet reached a final verdict as it will now be considered in the Court of Cassation. We continue to monitor the case.The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa recently publicly stated that, we are deeply concerned that the death penalty has been issued to Mohammed Ramadhan and Hussain Moosa.The Government of Bahrain is fully aware that the UK is firmly opposed to the death penalty, in all circumstances.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Armed Conflict

lord hylton: Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of individuals who were prosecuted by courts and tribunals for rape committed during the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) has reported that between 2004 and 2018, 137 Conflict Related Sexual Violence (CRSV) cases were completed in BiH Courts. This amounts to around a quarter of all completed war crime cases in BiH. There are an additional 47 open CRSV cases (2018).As of September 2016, across the region, including BiH, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) had charged 78 individuals with crimes of sexual violence as defined under Article 7(1) of the ICTY Statute.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Armed Conflict

lord hylton: Her Majesty's Government what (1) psychological, and (2) social, support they have funded through (a)official, and (b) voluntary, groups to children born as a result of rape during the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: As part of our extensive support under the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, our Embassy in Sarajevo has provided public support for organisations helping children born out of wartime sexual violence, in particular, one non-governmental organisation, "Forgotten Children of War" (FCoW). In 2014 the United Kingdom also provided financial support to Medica Zenica to help establish the first free telephone service to inform and counsel both survivors of conflict related sexual violence and children born out of wartime sexual violence. The British Government works closely with other organisations, such as the International Organization for Migration, including providing funding, which provides help for children born of wartime sexual violence.We continue to support FCoW and Medica Zenica politically, and look forward to welcoming their representatives to the PSVI Conference later this year.

Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief

the lord bishop of leeds: Her Majesty's Government what (1) human, and (2) financial, resources have been made available to support the Office of the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​Promoting Freedom of Religion and Belief (FoRB) globally is a key priority of this Government. The office of the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief is supported by a Chief of Staff, and we are recruiting an Assistant Private Secretary. In addition, we also have a FoRB team whose work includes providing policy advice and support to the Special Envoy and other Ministers. For this financial year, we have agreed the Special Envoy’s office will receive £73,453 to cover travel and administration costs. Future funding will be decided at a later stage.

Rwanda: Children

lord alton of liverpool: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports by Human Rights Watch of homeless children subjected to violence and other abuse in a transit centre in Kigali; what discussions they have had with the government of Rwanda about its obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child; and what discussions they have had about these reports with the governments of other Commonwealth countries in advance of the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Rwanda.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We are concerned by the Human Rights Watch report on the Gikondo transit centre. We urge the Government of Rwanda to abide by its international human rights obligations including the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Rwanda ratified in 1991. The Prime Minister raised human rights and the importance of adhering to Commonwealth values when he met President Kagame during the UK-Africa Investment Summit on 20 January. The British High Commission in Kigali regularly raises human rights concerns with the Government of Rwanda. The next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting presents a valuable opportunity to ensure the Commonwealth is working towards a fairer future for all our citizens.

Nigeria: Violence

lord alton of liverpool: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of (1) executions of Christians in Plateau State in Nigeria; and (2) targeted killings and kidnappings by Boko Haram and Fulani extremists; whether they discussed these issues with President Muhammadu Buhari at the UK–Africa Investment Summit; and what response they received.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are appalled by and condemn the escalating levels of violence, including executions, instigated by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa (ISWA) in Northern Nigeria. The targeting of Christians, including those from Plateau State, has tragically increased in recent months, although the indiscriminate nature of the groups’ attacks continues to have a devastating effect on all communities. The UK is providing a comprehensive package of support to help tackle the crisis in the North East, including £300 million of humanitarian support over five years (2018-2022).We welcome President Buhari’s condemnation of recent attacks in Plateau State. The British High Commission engages closely with the federal government, state government, international partners and the National Economic Council to help uphold the Nigerian Constitutional right to freedom of religion, address the drivers of intercommunal violence and push for solutions that meet the needs of all communities affected. To this end, the British High Commissioner visited Plateau State in December 2019 and met with the Governor, Christian and Muslim faith leaders, as well as Fulani communities. They all reported the tragic impact of the violence and discussed the complex root causes. The Prime Minister raised concerns about increasing levels of violence across Nigeria and discussed UK support with President Buhari at the UK-Africa Investment Summit on 20 January.

Northern Ireland Office

Sovereignty: Northern Ireland

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to provide for a referendum in Northern Ireland on the reunification of Ireland.

lord duncan of springbank: It remains the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland's view that a majority of the people of Northern Ireland continue to support Northern Ireland's place in the United Kingdom. The circumstances set out in the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement that require the Secretary of State to hold a referendum on Irish unification are therefore not satisfied.

Department of Health and Social Care

Mental Health Services: Nurses

lord jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many registered mental health nurses there are in England.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the independent regulator of nurses, midwives and nursing associates. The NMC’s last registration data report, published 30 September 2019, showed 70,159 registered mental health nurses with a home address in England.In addition, there were a further 29 dual qualified registered nurse/midwives, with an address in England, who also hold mental health nursing qualifications.

Coronavirus

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to quarantine British citizens repatriated from Wuhan, China.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: British citizens repatriated from Wuhan will be put into supported isolation for any medical needs that they may have and to protect the public.Asymptomatic passengers will be transferred to a National Health Service accommodation facility to spend at least 14 days in supported isolation. If any passengers develop symptoms, they will be assessed and transferred to appropriate NHS care facilities nearby.In supported isolation, individuals will made as comfortable as possible throughout the duration of their stay and a range of support will be available to ensure their needs are met. They will have access to a team of medical staff who will closely monitor their condition.

NHS: Drugs

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that drugs used by the NHS which have been developed by companies based in Israel have not been tested on Palestinian prisoners or schoolchildren.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: NHS England and NHS Improvement’s Commercial Medicines Unit (CMU) puts in place framework agreements for the supply of medicines for use in National Health Service secondary care organisations i.e. hospitals, although it is not responsible for any aspects of medicines supply in primary care.All relevant CMU procurements use the Cabinet Office’s standard supplier qualification questions. Suppliers are automatically excluded from bidding if they have convictions for child labour and other forms of trafficking in human beings; discretionary exclusion grounds include breach of labour law obligations.The CMU have contract monitoring arrangements in place which follow standard Government best practice. These are designed to identify supplier underperformance and any grave misconduct.Under the Modern Slavery Act 2015, since 1 October 2015, commercial organisations that carry on a business or part of business in the United Kingdom, supply goods or services and have an annual turnover of £36 million or more have been required under Section 54 of the Act to prepare a slavery and human trafficking statement as defined by section 54 of the Act. The CMU also typically require potential suppliers to declare whether they are compliant with this.

Coronavirus

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people have entered the UK from Wuhan during the last month; how those people are being tracked; how universities have been involved in assisting students returning from affected areas; whether British citizens now being quarantined on return from affected areas are being treated differently to those who had returned to the UK during the preceding month; and whether they have asked the World Health Organisation to declare the spread of the coronavirus as a global health emergency.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: 1,466 passengers and 95 staff arrived into the United Kingdom on direct flights from Wuhan between 10 January and 24 January when direct flights ceased.British citizens repatriated from Wuhan have been put into supported isolation for any medical needs that they may have and to protect the public.Asymptomatic passengers have been transferred to a National Health Service accommodation facility to spend at least 14 days in supported isolation. If any passengers develop symptoms, they will be assessed and transferred to appropriate NHS care facilities nearby.The World Health Organization has declared a Public Health Emergency of International Conern in response to the novel coronavirus as the outbreak continues to spread outside China.

Coronavirus

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government on what grounds they have concluded that 14 days is the appropriate timescale for the quarantining of British citizens repatriated from Wuhan, China.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Government has adopted 14 days as the appropriate timescale for the quarantining of British citizens repatriated from Wuhan, China, based on the known information from previous pathogenic coronavirus outbreaks, such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and the World Health Organization case definition.

Cancer: Drugs

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Institute of Cancer ResearchFrom patient to patient: analysing access to innovative cancer drugs, published on 28 January.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Government wants all National Health Service patients, including patients with cancer, to be able to benefit from rapid access to effective new medicines. The Institute of Cancer Research’s report analyses the timescales for the introduction of cancer drugs that received a licence from the European Medicines Agency between 2000 and 2016. It does not take account of significant more recent developments introduced by the Government that are already delivering faster access to new cancer drugs for NHS patients.In 2016, new arrangements were put in place for the assessment and adoption of new cancer drugs, including a reformed Cancer Drugs Fund. Since the new arrangements were introduced, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended 75% of new cancer medicines for use in the NHS compared with 47% in 2012/13 and the forecasted mean time from a new cancer drug receiving its licence to published final NICE guidance in 2020/21 is now 1.5 months.

General Practitioners

baroness hodgson of abinger: Her Majesty's Government what are the legal responsibilities of a named GP.

baroness hodgson of abinger: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) impact, and (2) role, of named GPs since 2015.

baroness hodgson of abinger: Her Majesty's Government what guidance is available to (1) GP practices, and (2) individuals, on how named GPs should interact with their patients.

baroness hodgson of abinger: Her Majesty's Government what rights authorised family members have to meet a dependent's named GP regarding care in protracted or complicated cases.

baroness hodgson of abinger: Her Majesty's Government what percentage of named GPs in England have seen the patients they are accountable for who are aged (1) 75 years or older, (2) 18 to 74 years old, and (3) under 18 years old.

baroness hodgson of abinger: Her Majesty's Government what rights patients have to see their named GP.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The legal responsibilities of the named accountable general practitioner (GP) are set out in the National Health Service (General Medical Services [GMS] Contracts) Regulations 2004 (as amended). The contract (and amendments) include a requirement for all patients to be assigned a named accountable GP who has overall responsibility for that patient’s care. This does not necessarily mean that patients will see their named accountable GP for every appointment. Patients can still request to see a particular GP, although they may have to wait longer for an appointment if they do so.The Department has not made a formal assessment into the impact and role of named accountable GPs.Under the terms of the GMS Regulations, the named accountable GP must take lead responsibility for the coordination of all services required under the contract and ensure they are delivered to each of their patients where required (based on the clinical judgment of the named accountable GP). The 2015/16 GMS Contract Guidance (published in March 2015) provides further information on named accountable GPs for all patients. A copy is attached. The guidance states: ‘Where the patient expresses a preference as to which GP they have been assigned, the practice must make reasonable efforts to accommodate this request’. This document provides guidance for commissioners, local medical committees and GP practices. This information is also of use to individuals because it explains how named accountable GPs should interact with their patients. The British Medical Association (BMA) has also provided guidance on how practices can fulfil the requirement to provide named accountable GPs for their patients.Every patient can request to see a specific GP, including their named accountable GP. Under the terms of their contract (as set out in Schedule 3, Part 2 of the Regulations), the GP practice must endeavour to comply with all reasonable requests of patients to see a particular practitioner. Authorised family members have the same rights.Data is not held centrally on the percentage of named accountable GPs in England who have seen the patients they are accountable for. 



General Medical Services (GMS) contract
(PDF Document, 1.01 MB)

Pharmacy

lord kennedy of southwark: Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to promote the role and value of community pharmacy services.

lord kennedy of southwark: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the comments made on ITV's This Morning programme on 17 January about the role of pharmacists.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Department has made no assessment of the comments made on ITV’s This Morning Programme.Last July, the Government set out plans in a landmark five-year Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework deal. This will see community pharmacies fully integrated in the National Health Service providing more clinical services.This deal full recognises the valuable contribution that community pharmacies, situated in the hearts of our communities, make to the NHS. Pharmacists are fully trained, over five years, as experts in medicines. That is why we have recently commissioned the NHS Community Pharmacist Consultation Service and are currently running a mass media campaign to promote their role in supporting people to deal with minor illnesses.We also see a role for pharmacists in supporting people to stay healthy for longer by identifying and supporting people to address key risk factors for disease, for example high blood pressure or weight, and signposting those who want support to services locally.

General Practitioners

baroness thornhill: Her Majesty's Government how many GPs have been in practice for each year since 2010.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The number of full time equivalent (FTE) doctors working in general practice in each year since 2015 has been provided in the following table. Data is not included prior to 2015 as improvements were made to the methodology for recording all staff working in general practice in September 2015 and data prior to this is not comparable. Number of all doctors in general practiceFTESeptember 201534,429September 201635,229September 201734,653September 201834,534September 201934,862Source: NHS DigitalNotes: Data as at 30 September 2019.Figures shown do not include general practice staff working in prisons, army bases, educational establishments, specialist care centres including drug rehabilitation centres, walk-in centres and other alternative settings.Figures contain estimates, for practices that did not provide fully valid General Medical Practice general practitioner (GP), nurse or direct patient care staff records.The figures presented include GP registrars and GP locums.Data collected and published prior to September 2015 is not comparable due to a change in data collection methodology.Data must be compared from the same time point in the year, therefore September data is provided to allow comparison for the earliest available data.FTE refers to the proportion of full-time contracted hours that the post holder is contracted to work. 1 would indicate they work a full set of hours (37.5), 0.5 that they worked half time. In Registrars' contracts 1 FTE = 40 hours. To ensure consistency, these FTEs have been converted to the standard wMDS measure of 1 FTE = 37.5 hours in the table.

Breastfeeding

baroness miller of chilthorne domer: Her Majesty's Government what comparison they have made of the percentage of women breastfeeding their babies at six months (1) currently, (2) 10 years ago, and (3) 20 years ago.

baroness miller of chilthorne domer: Her Majesty's Government what comparison they have made of the difference in breastfeeding rates between the UK and other countries.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: Breastfeeding at six months has been measured through the Infant Feeding Survey United Kingdom, which last ran in 2010. The results were published in 2012 and reported the breastfeeding prevalence for the UK outlined in the following table.Breastfeeding prevalence for babies aged six months in 2000, 2005 and 2010 in the UK: 200020052010Exclusively breastfedLess than 1%Less than 1%1%At all breastfed21%25%34% Notes:Source: Infant Feeding Survey - UK, 2010. NHS Digital.Prevalence of breastfeeding is based on all mothers who completed Stage 3 of the survey. The UK has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world. Data published in the Lancet shows that 0.5% of babies in the UK are being breastfed up to one year compared with 23% in Germany, 56% in Brazil and 99% in Senegal. A copy of the Lancet article, Breastfeeding in the 21st Century: epidemiology, mechanisms, and lifelong effect, is attached.



Breastfeeding in the 21st century
(PDF Document, 585.27 KB)

Breastfeeding

baroness miller of chilthorne domer: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of World Health Organisation guidance that breastfeeding a baby for two years has health benefits that last into adulthood.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) is reviewing the scientific basis of current recommendations for feeding young children aged 12 to 60 months. Where evidence is available, this will cover the impact of continued breastfeeding up to two years of age or beyond as recommended by the World Health Organization on short and long-term health outcomes into adulthood.In July 2018, the SACN published its report on Feeding in the First Year of Life, providing updated recommendations on infant feeding up to 12 months of age in the United Kingdom. Based on SACN’s advice, the UK Government recommends that women exclusively breastfeed for around the first six months of life and continue breastfeeding for at least the first year of life once solid foods have been introduced. A copy of Feeding in the First Year of Life is attached.



Feeding in the First Year of Life
(PDF Document, 3.34 MB)

Electronic Cigarettes: Health Services

baroness redfern: Her Majesty's Government whether people who vape are given the same access to NHS services as people who smoke who are seeking to quit; and if not, why not.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: Stop smoking services are designed to help people who wish to stop using tobacco products and offer a range of options to support. E-cigarettes are not tobacco products and therefore people using them are not eligible for stop smoking services. We would still advise everyone that not smoking/quitting entirely is the best option.

Electronic Cigarettes: Hospitals

baroness redfern: Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ban e-smoking from all hospital grounds.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Government has no plans to introduce legislative proposals to ban e-cigarettes on hospital grounds.The Government believes in the proportionate regulation of e-cigarettes, recognising that they are not risk-free. Through the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016, we have introduced measures to regulate e-cigarettes which reduce the risk of harm to children, protect against the risk of renormalisation of tobacco use, provide assurance on relative safety for users, and give businesses legal certainty.Public Health England has published advice to help employers to introduce policies around the use of e-cigarettes in public places and workplaces.

Cancer: Health Services

lord wills: Her Majesty's Government how the NHS Long Term Plan intends to improve the quality of life for survivors of cancer.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: Following cancer treatment, patients will move to a Personalised Stratified Follow-Up pathway that suits their needs and ensures they can get rapid access to clinical support if they are worried that their cancer may have recurred. This stratified follow-up approach is expected to be established in all trusts for breast cancer in 2019, for prostate and colorectal cancers in 2020 and for other cancers where clinically appropriate by 2023.

Cancer: Health Services

baroness rebuck: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) efficacy of, and (2) access to, treatment to improve the quality of life of cancer survivors, in particular those measures which combat long-term physical or psychological symptoms arising from cancer treatments.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: Work is being undertaken to develop a world-leading quality-of-life metric, with pilot tests being carried out in four Cancer Alliances. For the first time, this will allow us to assess the quality of survival alongside survival rates, so that we can identify where additional support is needed.

Exercise

baroness neville-rolfe: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the relationship between life-long exercise and long-term health; what steps they are taking to promote life-long exercise; and what support they give to voluntary initiatives such as the Daily Mile and Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The importance of physical activity across the life-course is highlighted in the United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers’ Physical Activity Guidelines published in September 2019, including: good physical and mental development in childhood, prevention and management of health conditions in adulthood and maintaining functionality in later years. A copy of the Guidelines is attached.Public Health England (PHE) promotes physical activity across the life course, including: resources for healthcare professionals through the Moving Healthcare Professionals Programme; public campaigns such as ‘Change4Life’ and ‘One You’, including digital behaviour change tools such as Couch to 5K; resources for schools, such as the ‘What works in schools and colleges’ guide; and resources for local areas such as the physical activity data tool.PHE partners with many voluntary sector partners to promote the benefits of exercise, including supporting the new ‘We are undefeatable’ campaign by 16 health charities which aims to support people living with long-term conditions to get more active.  



UK Chief Medical Officers' Physical Activity Guide
(PDF Document, 4.44 MB)

Pregnancy: Carbon Monoxide

baroness finlay of llandaff: Her Majesty's Government how many non-smoking pregnant women, who have theircarbon monoxide levelsroutinely monitored, have been found to have raised levels of carbon monoxide.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: This information is not held centrally.

Department for Education

Social Mobility

lord taylor of warwick: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by Sutton TrustElites in the UK: Pulling Away?, published on 22 January; and what action, if any, they plan to take in response.

lord agnew of oulton: We welcome this report from the Sutton Trust on the vital question of how we ensure everyone can make the most of their potential. Talent is evenly spread across the country, but opportunity is not, which is why we are committed to making sure that every child, in every part of the country, has a fair chance. Employment rates have increased in every region and nation of the UK and higher skilled roles make up over 80% of the employment growth since 2010. We are investing an additional £14 billion over 3 years so that every child gets a world-class education and last year there was a record rate of 18 year olds from disadvantaged backgrounds going to university. At the same time, the government is working to make sure that more learners from disadvantaged areas undertake apprenticeships that offer higher returns. At school, against a background of rising standards, disadvantaged pupils are narrowing the attainment gap at age 11 and age 16. Our reforms, and the focus provided by the £2.4 billion pupil premium, have supported this improvement. Most disadvantaged pupils attend a Good school or better. The law is clear that anyone in work is entitled to receive the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage and the government is committed to enforcing this right across the country as well as levelling up investment in towns through our £3.6 billion Towns Fund.

Erasmus+ Programme

lord bassam of brighton: Her Majesty's Government what budget provisionthey have made for the Erasmus Plus international student exchange programme beyond 2020.

baroness berridge: The Political Declaration states the UK is open to participation in certain EU programmes, such as the next Erasmus+ programme (2021-27), if it is in our interest to do so. The proposed regulations for the next 2021-27 Erasmus+ programme are still being discussed in the EU and have yet to be finalised. Our future participation will be subject to negotiations on the UK-EU relationship. Decisions on future budget provisions are a matter for the Comprehensive Spending Review.The UK Government wants to ensure that UK and European students can continue to benefit from each other’s world-leading education systems. We are considering a wide range of options with regards to the future of international exchange and collaboration in education and training, including potential domestic alternatives.

Children: Social Services

baroness armstrong of hill top: Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that information and advice services for families, kinship carers and special guardians of children at risk or involved in the care system in England can continue uninterrupted, following the reported delay in the procurement of this service.

baroness armstrong of hill top: Her Majesty's Government what new deadlines the Department for Education has set to (1) evaluate tender bids, (2) hold clarification meetings, and (3) announce the preferred bidder of the tender process for the contract for "an information and advice service for families including kinship carers of children at risk or involved in the care system".

lord agnew of oulton: The department is in the process of tendering for an information and advice service for families including kinship carers of children at risk or involved in the care system.Our intention remains to award this contract in March 2020 in order for the service to commence on 1 April 2020. As per our most recent indicative timeline, we hope to evaluate tender bids on 3 February 2020, hold clarification meetings between 14 February 2020 to 20 February 2020, and announce the preferred bidder soon after.Any further unexpected delays will be communicated to all interested bidders. The department will work with any winning bidder, and the existing provider to ensure the service is not interrupted.

Education

lord watson of invergowrie: Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce legislation in this Parliament relating to education; and when they expect any such legislation to be introduced.

lord agnew of oulton: As set out in the Queen’s Speech, this government is committed to ensuring that all young people have access to an excellent education, unlocking their full potential and preparing them for the world of work.We have already laid legislation this Parliament requiring local authorities to provide every secondary school with at least £5,000 per pupil next year, and every primary school with at least £3,750 per pupil. This will support the lowest funded schools across the country so that all schools are able to provide an excellent education for their pupils.We have also laid legislation to introduce, from August 2020, the new entitlement to fully funded digital qualifications for adults with no or low digital skills.

Ministry of Justice

Solicitors: Training

lord storey: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the possible impact of the closure of the Professional and Career Development Loans scheme on those from low-income households seeking to qualify as solicitors through the Solicitors Qualifying Exam, due to be introduced in 2021.

lord storey: Her Majesty's Government whatsteps they plan to taketo ensure that aspiring solicitors from low-income households have access to the funds necessary to complete the Solicitors Qualifying Exam, alongside any associated preparation or training courses.

lord keen of elie: The legal services sector in England and Wales is independent of Government, and as such, the Government does not have a role in setting or approving the framework for admission into the legal profession. In March 2018, the Legal Services Board (LSB) approved a rule change application made by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). This application laid out a framework upon which the SRA could seek to introduce new requirements for trainee solicitors to pass a centralised Solicitors Qualifying Exam before being admitted into the profession. However, the application only established the framework. The SRA will need to submit another rule change application to LSB in order to implement it. In its March 2018 decision notice, the LSB set out the substantive issues that it had not been able to fully assess and would need to evaluate before it approved any further application from the SRA seeking to implementing the framework. This included assessing the full costs of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam and accessibility of assessments.

Personal Independence Payment: West Yorkshire

baroness thomas of winchester: Her Majesty's Government what is the longest waiting time for Personal Independence Payments tribunals for claimants in West Yorkshire.

lord keen of elie: The information requested is not held centrally.

Personal Independence Payment: Appeals

lord scriven: Her Majesty's Government what is the longest wait in days for each Job Centre Plus District for people waiting for an appeal hearing for Personal Independence Payment.

lord keen of elie: The information requested is not held centrally.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Housing

baroness mone: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the current state of the UK housing market, and (2) how that market may be affected by Brexit.

viscount younger of leckie: As a matter of course the department works closely with industry and all levels of government to monitor and assess the future of the UK housing market.We are  committed to delivering safe, secure and affordable housing to people across the country, and this has not changed. A key pillar of realising this commitment is our ambition to deliver more homes for the communities up and down the country that need them. We have made necessary legislation that means the UK’s regulatory requirements on construction products are the same as the EU’s requirements.

Housing: Energy

baroness jones of whitchurch: Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to require all new-build properties to be built to high energy efficiency standards of a minimum of Energy Performance Certificate C.

viscount younger of leckie: The Government is committed to meeting its of net zero emissions by 2050 and recognises the important contribution that the energy efficiency of buildings has to make in meeting it By 2025, the government will introduce a Future Homes Standard for new build homes to be future-proofed with low carbon heating to create healthy homes that are fit for the future, with low carbon heating and world-leading levels of energy efficiency As a stepping stone to the Future Homes Standard we are proposing a meaningful but achievable strengthening in these requirements in 2020.

Local Government Finance: Reserves

lord kennedy of southwark: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of reserves held by local authorities in England.

viscount younger of leckie: Local authorities are free to determine the level of reserves they hold and are accountable to their electorate for the decisions they make.  The financial framework is designed to ensure that adequate reserve levels are held by local authorities. This is done through legislation which requires local authorities to make an assessment annually on the adequacy of the financial reserves which are held. This aspect of the framework is crucial in ensuring that all local authorities hold sufficient unallocated reserves to meet unforeseeable financial risks.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Plastics: Waste

baroness jones of whitchurch: Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to deal with the containers of plastic waste returning to the UK from Malaysia; and how they intend to police any further offshore waste contracts.

lord goldsmith of richmond park: The Government is deeply concerned about the illegal trade in waste, including reports of illegal plastic waste exported from the UK to Malaysia. Recognising the difficulties experienced by some countries in managing imports of plastic waste the Queen’s Speech on the 19 December included a commitment to ban the export of polluting plastic wastes to countries that are not members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The Environment Bill includes a power which will enable us to deliver on this commitment and we will consult this year on the date by which this should be achieved. The Bill also includes a power to introduce electronic tracking of waste to help tackle waste crime here in the UK and prevent illegal waste from being shipped abroad. The Environment Agency (EA), as competent authority of England, is overseeing the voluntary return of all 42 improperly documented containers of plastic waste from Malaysia and subsequent lawful recovery or disposal of the waste in the UK. Currently, 35 of the containers have already arrived in England and the remaining 7 are scheduled to be returned shortly. The return of these containers is being managed and financed by the parties involved in the original export to Malaysia as it is their responsibility. In addition, the British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur is currently supporting the Malaysian government in tackling the wider plastic waste problem. This includes sharing UK experience as well as collaborating with the Malaysian government in developing a Malaysian version of a Plastics Pact (a cross stakeholder grouping) to drive more effective management of plastic and plastic wastes. My department and the British High Commission also facilitated a technical meeting in Kuala Lumpur between UK and Malaysian enforcement authorities to improve plastic waste export/import protocols. Compliance with the legislation on waste shipments is monitored by the UK’s four environmental regulators[1]. In England in 2018/19 the EA inspected almost 1,000 shipping containers at ports and returned over 200 of those to sites. During this period, the EA also prevented 12,000 tonnes of waste from reaching ports which may have otherwise been exported illegally. Any operators found to be illegally exporting waste can face severe sanctions – from financial penalties to imprisonment for a period of up to two years. [1] The Environment Agency in England, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the Northern Ireland Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales

Home Office

Passports: Offenders

lord marlesford: Her Majesty's Government under what circumstances passports are (1) cancelled electronically, or (2) seized the police, for persons (a) given custodial sentences in prison, (b) given suspended services in prison, (c) sentenced to community service, (d) on probation, (e) on bail, or (f) remanded in custody.

baroness williams of trafford: Passports are cancelled electronically on the HMPO systems when they have been renewed or when a new passport has been issued. This will also occur when passports have been reported lost, stolen or when HMPO is notified that the holder is deceased.Passports are also cancelled when passport facilities are withdrawn within the terms of the then Home Secretary’s written ministerial statement of 25 April 2013.

Asylum

lord marlesford: Her Majesty's Government how many applications for asylum (1) werereceived, (2) weregranted, (3) wererefused, and (4) resulted in deportation, in each of the last ten years.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office publishes data on the outcomes of asylum applications in the https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-releaseData on the number of asylum applications received, granted, refused and those who have applied and have been returned are published in tables Asy_D04 of the ‘Outcome analysis of asylum applications’.Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to the year ending December 2018. Additionally, the Home Office publishes a high-level overview of the data in the ‘summary tables’. The ‘contents’ sheet contains an overview of all available data on asylum and resettlement.Note: The number of cases which have outcomes that are 'not yet known' will be higher for more recent years as cases are still progressing. These will reduce over time. As a result, data are not comparable over time.Additional statistics on the number of asylum applications raised each year can be found in table Asy_D01, the number of initial decisions (broken down by grant or refusal) can be found in Asy_D02, and the number of ‘asylum related’ returns can be found in table Ret_05 of the returns summary tables. Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’A summary of the data from Asy_D04, can be found in Annex A.



Annex A - Table 
(Excel SpreadSheet, 321.19 KB)

Asylum: Costs

lord marlesford: Her Majesty's Government what is the average annual cost to public funds of (1) adult asylum applicants, and (2) unaccompanied children seeking asylum.

baroness williams of trafford: Asylum costs are published as part of the Home Office transparency data https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asylum-transparency-data-august-2019. Please see table attached.The information is not broken down to provide individual costs for asylum applicants and unaccompanied asylum seeking children.



UKVI_Asylum_Q2_2019_Published (1)
(Excel SpreadSheet, 393.39 KB)

Cabinet Office

Trade: Northern Ireland

baroness ritchie of downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the comments made by Michel Barnier when he spoke at the William J. Clinton Leadership Institute, Queen's University Belfast, on Monday 27 January about access for goods, products and services from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

lord bethell: The Withdrawal Agreement with the EU respects the territorial integrity of the UK.It ensures that Northern Ireland remains part of the UK’s customs territory and Northern Ireland’s businesses will have unfettered access to the whole of the UK internal market.I echo our European ally’s commitment to peace and stability across the island of Ireland. We are firmly committed to peace in Northern Ireland and to upholding the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement.

Treasury

Housing: Taxation

baroness mone: Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce new tax incentives in their next budget to support the UK housing market.

baroness mone: Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reform (1) tax relating to the housing market, and (2) stamp duty, following Brexit.

the earl of courtown: The Government has already made substantial reforms to the taxation of housing. At Autumn Statement 2014 the Government reformed SDLT on residential properties, cutting the tax for 98 per cent of buyers who pay it, unless they are purchasing additional property. At Autumn Budget 2017 the Government went further and introduced an SDLT first-time buyer relief that means that 80 per cent of first-time buyers will not pay SDLT, and 95 per cent of first-time buyers who pay SDLT will benefit from the change. At the last election the Government committed to introduce an SDLT surcharge on non-UK residents purchasing residential property in England and Northern Ireland. This aims to help control house price inflation and the money raised will be used to tackle rough sleeping. The Government will announce further updates on all tax measures at the Budget, to be held on 11 March.

Digital Technology: Taxation

lord kennedy of southwark: Her Majesty's Government what steps they have (1) taken, and (2) are taking, to introduce a digital tax; and what representations theyhave received on the matter from the government of the United States.

the earl of courtown: At Budget 2018 the Government announced that the Digital Services Tax would be implemented from April 2020. Following this announcement the Government carried out consultation, and published draft legislation in July 2019. The Government is now reviewing this legislation. Government ministers and officials maintain regular contact with the US administration on a range of issues but cannot disclose the topic of specific conversations.

Women and Equalities

Assistance Animals

baroness brady: Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to amend the Equality Act 2010 to give the same rights to owners of emotional support animals as those who own certified assistance animals.

baroness williams of trafford: The Equality Act 2010 requires service providers to make reasonable adjustments for their disabled users and customers so that they are not disadvantaged compared with people who are not disabled. This requirement includes permitting access to assistance dogs where reasonable. If a person meets the Act’s definition of disability and has an emotional support animal to help them manage that disability, they should ask the service provider to consider allowing access to the animal.Other than in relation to taxis, the Equality Act does not refer to assistance dogs or any other specific form of support or facility for disabled people, because each reasonable adjustment must be considered on its merits and in the context of the particular circumstances of the case. We therefore have no plans to include emotional support dogs in the Act, as this would be at odds with the basic and long-standing basis of the legislation.

Employment: Equality

baroness mcgregor-smith: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Fawcett Society Sex and Power 2020, published on 13 January; and what steps they are taking to address the reported inequality in senior jobs held in the UK by women and minority groups.

baroness williams of trafford: We have noted this report and will take its findings into consideration. It is vital that women and all ethnicities are able to fully contribute across politics, public life and all business sectors. Progress is being made, but there is more to do. Companies with diverse workforces perform better and an inclusive economic policy is vital to the success of our Industrial Strategy.We urge our largest companies to lead from the front on this issue, to reap the economic and social benefits, by taking up the recommendations of the Government commissioned and supported Hampton-Alexander and Parker Reviews, championing greater leadership diversity.Women now hold a higher percentage of senior leadership positions than ever before, with over 30% female board members across the FTSE350 for the first time and no all-male boards in the FTSE100. We surveyed FTSE350 companies last year to take stock of the ethnic diversity of their boards and will be publishing the results early this year.